Preview: Backwards Forecasts

Economists, business leaders and politicians agree that short-term thinking lies at the root of many of our present problems. But how can we stop ourselves doing it? One method recommended by psychologists is a technique known as backwards induction, which involves looking back from the perspective of an imagined future. In this week's microtrend, Backwards Forecasts, we highlight the designers and artists using this technique to explore the way we live now.

One such Backwards Forecast is The Future Chronicles, a magazine described as ‘a journalistic journey through time’. Lots of magazines peer into the future, but The Future Chronicles looks back from the year 2096. ‘To be on top of the game you need to see the bigger picture,’ says Daniel Kiendl, the magazine’s co-publisher. ‘And that is exactly what we want to help our readers with.’

The Big Picture: For more on the psychological tricks you can use to avoid short-termism, read our macrotrend The Immortal Brand.